CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Student drug testing like the proposal by Horry County Schools has revealed very little drug use in other school districts.
The school board talked publicly for the first time Monday night about randomly testing students who drive to school or participate in extracurricular activities like athletics. While the proposal hasn’t been finalized, the district’s attorney said students who failed a drug test may get counseling and not be eligible for extracurricular activities.
“[Drugs are] a problem and I don’t think we can hide our heads in the sand and pretend like it’s not a problem here,” school board chair Joe Defeo said.
Other school districts in South Carolina have implemented similar programs, including Beaufort County. Bluffton Today, a newspaper in the area, reported in 2016 only 23 students tested positive for drugs over a four month period. The district tested about a thousand students.
Lexington School District 1 saw similar results, according to The State. The district tested more a thousand students, but only four students tested positive.
Horry County could have a testing program in place by next school year, but it’s not final.
